The States

Today on The States: DHS marks 25 years since 9/11 with its budget nearly quadrupled and no financial system Congress can verify, a House Oversight investigation examines DEA agents allegedly letting fentanyl shipments through in New Mexico, the U.S. Supreme Court sets a December 2 date for the biggest gun rights case since Bruin, New York City rolls out new restrictions on AI use in schools, Everyday Economics breaks down August's jobs report, and America's Talking covers West Virginia's lawsuit against Pennsylvania over energy credits.

On the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, DHS's annual budget has grown from about $31 billion at its creation to $118 billion today, but the Government Accountability Office says the agency still lacks the financial systems and controls needed to verify how that money has been spent. Separately, Congress remains divided over renewing Section 702 of FISA, which allows warrantless surveillance of foreign nationals but has also been used to search Americans' communications without a warrant.

Empower Oversight President Tristan Leavitt discusses the House Oversight Committee's investigation into DEA whistleblower David Howell's claims that agents in Albuquerque, New Mexico were directed not to seize known fentanyl shipments in order to build larger cases — a practice Leavitt compares to the ATF's Fast and Furious scandal. Two additional DEA whistleblowers have since come forward, and New Mexico's attorney general has separately sued the Justice Department for related records.

The U.S. Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments for December 2nd in consolidated cases challenging Cook County, Illinois' and Connecticut's semi-automatic firearm bans — the most closely watched Second Amendment case since the Bruin decision. Thirty-three amicus briefs have been filed, including from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Solicitor General, and a coalition of 27 states.

The Center Square's Esther Wickham discusses New York City's new policy restricting AI use in public schools, which limits AI as a classroom tool for younger students while introducing AI literacy pilot programs for junior high and high schoolers, following Mayor Zohran Mamdani's comments that children need human connection and unstructured problem-solving to learn.

Dr. Orphe Divounguy joins Chris Krug for Everyday Economics to unpack August's jobs report: 162,000 jobs added, but two-thirds of the gains came from restaurants and local government education, real wages are falling, and long-term unemployment has climbed to 1.9 million Americans — all while capital spending on AI infrastructure accounts for an outsized share of GDP growth without yet showing up in productivity data.

America's Talking covers West Virginia's lawsuit alleging Pennsylvania illegally blocks its power producers from selling energy credits, a 1% nationwide decline in energy sector jobs driven largely by solar industry losses, a $34.9 million California grant program for worker-rights outreach nonprofits, and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes launching a review of Flock license-plate camera use.

VA v. PA: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_abb87a8d-919b-4d55-b1cf-2e38002acbad.html

Louisiana: https://www.thecentersquare.com/louisiana/article_7ce61b64-e436-412e-ba9c-47518cd39a7d.html

California: https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_9a993481-459f-41d8-a5d1-47faab027d92.html

Arizona: https://www.thecentersquare.com/arizona/article_64d53a12-220c-44c0-87fa-67087c5f6e49.html

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On this edition of the Center Square Radio Hour, A majority of American voters think antisemitism is on the rise compared to a few years ago, according to a new poll. American voters across the political spectrum are divided on whether the rise of Democratic Socialists within the Democratic Party is a sign of positive change or creeping extremism, new polling shows. Louisiana school officials are raising concerns about a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow local voters to give older homeowners larger property tax exemptions, warning the measure could reduce school funding without giving school boards a say. The U.S. economy is making a massive bet on artificial intelligence, pouring capital into data centers, chips and power infrastructure — much of it financed with debt, but the productivity payoff investors are expecting has yet to show up in the broader economic data.

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Today on The States: an Illinois state lawmaker and her husband seek to delay their federal fraud trial until after the election, Americans for Prosperity talks about a socialist convention in Chicago, a look at what state credit ratings actually tell taxpayers, Michigan's citizen-only voting ballot initiative officially fails while a new state grant fraud scandal emerges, Everyday Economics examines a cooling housing market, and America's Talking covers August's stronger-than-expected jobs report and new tax hikes in California.

Champaign, Illinois Democratic State Representative Carol Ammons and her husband, County Clerk Aaron Ammons, are asking a federal court to delay their trial on wire fraud and obstruction of justice charges until after the November election, citing Aaron Ammons' duties as an election official. Federal prosecutors have joined the request. Carol Ammons' attorney maintains the couple's innocence and says the prosecution was politically motivated.

Americans for Prosperity's Illinois Deputy State Director Brian Costin discusses the group's "Fight Socialism" campaign, launched to coincide with a socialist convention held this Labor Day weekend at a Chicago hotel managed by Governor J.B. Pritzker's family. Costin says the convention's platform includes abolishing police, jails, the Senate, and the Supreme Court, and points to hotel workers picketing outside the same event over wages.

The Center Square's Elyse Apel breaks down what state credit ratings from Moody's, S&P, and Fitch actually measure — a government's ability to repay bondholders, not its overall fiscal health. Minnesota holds a AAA rating but gets a "B" from Truth in Accounting, while Illinois received rating upgrades this week but remains among the group's lowest-graded "sinkhole states," alongside New Jersey.

Elyse Apel also reports that Michigan's citizen-only voting ballot initiative has officially failed to make the November ballot after the State Board of Canvassers deadlocked along party lines and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene. Separately, she covers a new grant fraud scandal at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, where more than $1 million from a $3.4 million grant to the American Arab Chamber of Commerce cannot be accounted for — prompting calls to abolish the agency from officials in both parties, including Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel.

Dr. Orphe Divounguy joins Chris Krug for Everyday Economics to discuss why home builders are cutting prices and offering incentives as new home sales hit their lowest year-to-date pace since 2017, with the middle of the market — homes between roughly $500,000 and $800,000 — struggling most to find buyers at a 6.7% mortgage rate.

America's Talking covers the U.S. economy adding 162,000 jobs in August with unemployment holding at 4.1%, new polling showing 60% of voters support using AI to detect government fraud, new tax hikes passed in California's legislature, and Colorado's plan to proceed with mailing ballots to all registered voters despite ongoing litigation over a federal mail-in ballot order.

Economy: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_3e2b5674-27dc-4afe-b5fb-22e3bfbad5b5.html

Accountability: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_d113835f-dfda-4932-8419-1c1dd71d2d44.html

California: https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_d57a5ca4-e2d8-458a-82b8-351ceca12277.html

Colorado: https://www.thecentersquare.com/colorado/article_5c198282-a9fc-4258-b6a9-9c927cf2e5f1.html

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Today on The States: newly unsealed search warrants reveal a criminal investigation into alleged voter fraud, Open Secrets breaks down how much license-plate camera company Flock has spent lobbying Congress and state legislatures, a federal court ruling raises questions about suppressor and short-barreled rifle regulations, Louisiana lawmakers and school officials clash over a proposed property tax exemption for seniors, Everyday Economics examines the debt financing AI investment, and America's Talking covers a new IRS rule on private school tax-exempt status, an Ohio unemployment fraud investigation, and more.

The Center Square has obtained newly unsealed search warrant affidavits showing multiple elected officials and campaign staff in Zapata County, Texas are under criminal investigation for alleged voter harvesting, bribery, and abuse of official capacity. Search warrants seized phones and bank records from the county judge, the sheriff, and others; the judge named in the affidavits has denied the allegations, which stem from a pattern local Democrats have alleged for years in the border county.

Open Secrets' Joedy McCreary joins the show to detail findings that license-plate reading camera company Flock has spent at least $2 million lobbying Congress and state legislatures since January 2025, with the largest disclosed spending in California, Massachusetts, and New York — while inconsistent state reporting requirements mean the real total is likely higher.

A federal district court ruling that the National Firearms Act's registration requirement for suppressors and short-barreled rifles is unconstitutional — after Congress zeroed out the associated tax — has left gun dealers without clear guidance from the ATF. Witnesses at a U.S. House hearing this week, including firearms industry representatives and a former ATF deputy director, testified that suppressor ownership has risen sharply without a corresponding rise in suppressor-related crime.

Louisiana State Representative Les Farnum's proposed constitutional amendment would let local voters approve larger property tax exemptions for homeowners 65 and older, growing to $375,000 by age 81. The Louisiana School Boards Association opposes the measure, arguing it would cut into school funding that districts can't recover without state legislative action.

Dr. Orphe Divounguy returns to Everyday Economics to discuss why total factor productivity growth slowed from 1.5% in 2024 to 0.8% in 2025 even as AI infrastructure spending surges, warning that roughly a third of hyperscaler capital spending is debt-financed and that the broader economy is effectively betting on an AI productivity payoff to manage that debt load.

America's Talking covers a new Treasury/IRS rule that could strip tax-exempt status from private schools with race-based admissions preferences, a $3.28 million unemployment fraud scheme uncovered by Ohio's inspector general, a new hotel tax that will make Springfield, Illinois the state's second-most-taxed city for hotel rooms, and a federal ruling restricting Medicaid funding for certain gender-related medical procedures for minors in states including Colorado.

Education: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_9f6ecac1-8f55-43af-9dd8-a7492e9ed61d.html

Ohio: https://www.thecentersquare.com/ohio/article_fac16c30-84b9-4d47-999d-84a269e79783.html

Illinois: https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_a127440b-002b-4721-8924-7567dbd2b41a.html

Colorado: https://www.thecentersquare.com/colorado/article_905a7d93-1e1d-4a26-8ab5-709de1dbd12c.html

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Today on The States: Lancaster County Board Vice Chairman Josh Parsons disputes Pennsylvania's characterization of two "measles-associated deaths," a new poll shows most voters want data center approval left to local governments, the ATF confirms a ransomware breach of an investigative database while facing pressure from both gun-rights advocates and state attorneys general, The Center Square reporter Therese Boudreau breaks down new polling on the rise of democratic socialism within the Democratic Party, and America's Talking rounds up Ed Markey's primary win, a trucking-fraud crackdown, Wisconsin's move against license-plate cameras, and a Michigan voter-ID ballot fight now before the Supreme Court.

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Board Vice Chairman Josh Parsons says the county coroner and a forensic pathologist have found that measles was not the cause of death in the first of two cases Governor Josh Shapiro's administration labeled "measles-associated deaths," and that the state has provided no evidence for the second case. The CDC has said it will not include either case in its national count while it reviews additional information. Parsons says the state has not explained its decision-making process despite repeated requests.

A new Center Square Voters' Voice poll finds 50% of Americans want local governments to have the final say on data center approval, with only 11% favoring federal control. The debate is playing out unevenly by state: 57% of Arizona voters oppose new large data centers, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker paused state incentives for the projects in July while GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey criticizes them on farmland and grid concerns, and in Pennsylvania, a township approved a data center zoning measure days after a judge ruled the same body had violated the state's open-meetings law.

The ATF says a ransomware gang has published files claiming to come from a breach of its CALEA investigative database, though the agency says the affected system was not connected to its other operations. Separately, the agency faces pressure from both directions: a coalition of Democratic state attorneys general, led by California's Rob Bonta, is opposing ATF rule changes they say would weaken firearms regulations, while a Kansas congressman is pushing the agency for clearer guidance on suppressor rules following a recent federal court ruling.

The Center Square reporter Therese Boudreaux discusses new polling showing 59% of Democrats view the rise of democratic socialism within their party as positive change, while independents lean toward seeing it as a sign of extremism — a divide playing out on the House floor this week alongside a three-month government funding stopgap that passed without addressing any of the twelve annual appropriations bills.

America's Talking covers 80-year-old Senator Ed Markey's primary win over a primary challenger who argued he was too old to serve, a federal crackdown on fraudulent commercial driver's license schools, Wisconsin's consideration of banning license-plate reading cameras, and a Michigan citizen-only voting ballot initiative now before the U.S. Supreme Court after state officials deadlocked twice on certifying it.

Wisconsin: https://www.thecentersquare.com/wisconsin/article_403e70a3-fef3-4729-ab84-4a4f8293dbd2.html

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Today on The States: New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani stands by Brad Lander amid a DSA rift over Israel policy, Governor Hochul and DHS Secretary Mark Mullen clash publicly over counterterrorism funding and sanctuary city policy, National Taxpayers Union's Andrew Wilford breaks down the legal fight over New York and Rhode Island's second-home taxes, Everyday Economics examines what the Fed chair's Jackson Hole speech leaves out, and America's Talking rounds up a new poll on data center approval, Minnesota's gubernatorial recount ruling, and Louisiana's board cleanup effort.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is standing by his endorsement of Brad Lander for Congress despite pressure from the Democratic Socialists of America, who wanted a different candidate over Lander's support for Israel's existence as a Jewish state. New polling cited in the segment shows a majority of voters are concerned about rising socialism and antisemitism.

National Taxpayers Union Director of State Policy Andrew Wilford discusses the constitutional challenge to New York City and Rhode Island's new taxes on second homes, arguing the taxes are effectively targeted at non-residents who have no vote and no legal recourse other than the courts. He also covers New York City's rollout of the tax, including a publicly released list of 900,000 properties that may be affected when only about 11,200 are expected to actually owe it.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul says the Trump administration is withholding $87 million in counterterrorism funding from the state ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11. DHS Secretary Mark Mullen, appearing separately, defended DHS immigration enforcement operations in New York, including Operation Rotten Apple, and clashed with Hochul and Mamdani over the state's sanctuary city policies.

Dr. Orphe Divounguy joins Chris Krug for Everyday Economics to argue that the Fed chair's Jackson Hole assessment of a strong economy overlooks a two-speed reality: roughly 80% of Q2 GDP growth came from AI-related spending, while home building had its weakest summer since 2020 and hiring is at its lowest level since the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.

America's Talking rounds up a new Center Square Voters' Voice poll on who should approve data centers, the Minnesota Supreme Court's ruling against Mike Lindell's request for a full recount of the August primary, and a Louisiana legislative audit finding dozens of inactive state boards and commissions.

Poll: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_1f36e068-c43b-4a13-a039-10a8760fd603.html

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The battle over mail-in voting heads back to court as 25 states challenge a Trump administration rule requiring additional scrutiny and tracking of election-related mail. Meanwhile, the federal government is cracking down on fraudulent CDL schools and commercial drivers who fail English proficiency and safety requirements. On this episode of The States, Greg Bishop also breaks down new polling showing a majority of American voters believe antisemitism is on the rise, the latest Second Amendment challenge to Illinois and Connecticut gun bans before the U.S. Supreme Court, and a new federal process for restoring firearm rights. Plus, lawmakers in Pennsylvania debate banning Flock cameras and other automated license plate readers, California lawmakers take up election and vote-by-mail legislation, and Milwaukee officials acknowledge an error involving election audit logs. In this episode: •  Mail-in ballot rules challenged by 25 states •  North Carolina and Wisconsin prepare to send absentee ballots •  Trump administration's CDL school crackdown •  Fraudulent commercial driver's licenses and English proficiency violations •  New polling on rising antisemitism •  Illinois and Connecticut gun bans face Supreme Court challenge •  Second Amendment rights restoration process •  ATF reports a cyber intrusion •  Pennsylvania lawmakers debate Flock cameras •  California vote-by-mail legislation •  Milwaukee election tabulator error •  Seattle mayor recall effort

America's Talking:

•  California: https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_15758ad2-09d1-4974-b41f-21019b793eef.html

•  Pennsylvania: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_85ca8b99-29d7-4976-94d2-e984d662fbde.html

•  Washington: https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/article_9dc38a5d-9dda-402d-a15f-13518eebb581.html

•  Wisconsin: https://www.thecentersquare.com/wisconsin/article_ecb53be5-07fb-4cd2-aeee-e279da6e14fd.html

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On this edition of the Center Square Radio Hour, Attorneys general across the United States are using a range of strategies to withhold 2024 emails discussing a longstanding plan to file lawsuits against the second Trump administration prior to his re-election. A coalition of education and union groups sued the Trump administration, seeking to block a rule that would impose time limits on visas for international students, exchange visitors and foreign journalists. Inflation remains the issue American voters rank as most important heading into the midterms, with prices topping their list of concerns for a third consecutive poll. The Institute for Justice's new tracker has documented 170 cases of law enforcement misuse of Flock cameras nationwide. New personal consumption expenditures data shows income is finally growing faster than spending, but consumers are still spending more than their inflation-adjusted incomes and drawing down savings to keep up. 

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This episode of The States covers a new voters' poll on student loan debt risk, a Fauci diary entry showing his influence on Gov. Roy Cooper's 2020 North Carolina school reopening delay, Second Amendment litigation developments including a Supreme Court gun ban case and NRA bus tour, Illinois' new e-bike safety law, Virginia and Arizona communities reconsidering Flock camera contracts, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's response to measles-related deaths, and headlines on data center regulation and Chicago's TIF program.

A new Center Square Voters Voice poll finds 50% of registered voters say student loan debt is too risky given the job market, while 35% still say a degree is worth the debt.

A newly reviewed entry from Dr. Anthony Fauci's private diary shows he spoke with then-North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper for 45 minutes in June 2020 and recommended Cooper delay his school reopening announcement by two weeks — a conversation Cooper never disclosed to the public before doing exactly that. Carolina Journal's Nick Craig joins to discuss the diary entry, the subsequent 2021 fight between Cooper and the Republican legislature over reopening schools, and North Carolina's ongoing learning-loss recovery.

Briefs are due today in Veramontes v. Cook County, a Supreme Court case testing Chicago and Cook County's gun and magazine bans, consolidated with a Connecticut case over the legality of semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15 under the Second Amendment. Also covered: a Ninth Circuit ruling upholding California's recording requirements at gun stores, a new California bill adding live-fire safety certification for gun buyers, the NRA's national bus tour ahead of the 2026 midterms, a New Jersey gun control push following a court ruling against that state's ban, and newly republished CDC data on annual defensive gun use.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed a law creating the state's first regulations for high-speed e-bikes and e-scooters, requiring licensing, registration, and insurance for the fastest class of devices starting in January. State Sen. Darby Hills, a bill sponsor, and Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias discuss the bipartisan process and what riders and parents should expect.

Communities across Virginia and Arizona are reconsidering Flock Safety license plate cameras. Lynchburg, Virginia, paused its cameras pending an independent review; Harrisonburg ended its contract; Charlottesville and Staunton had already stopped use. In Arizona, Chandler and Surprise ended or amended contracts following misuse findings, Pinal County cited Fourth Amendment concerns, and Tempe and Apache Junction are adjusting policies after a data-sharing dispute and an officer's misuse of the system. A California bill would limit how long license plate data can be stored.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he won't engage with online criticism of the state's classification of two infant deaths as measles-related, after a county coroner's report on one case raised questions about the cause of death; the state reports active measles cases in 31 of its 67 counties.

In America's Talking headlines: a California bill would require data centers to report energy use to state regulators; Aurora, Colorado, rejected a proposed moratorium on data center construction while Denver's took effect; and a University of Illinois Chicago report finds the city's use of tax increment financing districts has raised citywide property taxes by an estimated 13.7% over nine years.

California: https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_148667f7-a156-443a-8992-7d0502d7bace.html

Pennsylvania: https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_eb252348-6178-4b76-80da-100a66c5b351.html

Illinois: https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_5fa1055d-39bf-4df0-8ece-1e1b684a439e.html

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Greg Bishop covers where Meta's $17 billion state settlement money could go, how tariffs are driving up back-to-school costs, New York City's extended deadline on its second-home tax amid ongoing litigation, inflation's status as voters' top midterm concern, what to expect from the Fed chair this week, and headlines from Pennsylvania, California, and Missouri.

States are beginning to learn how much they'll receive from Meta's roughly $17 billion multistate settlement, with amounts ranging from $100 million in Georgia to $2.1 billion in California. California Governor Gavin Newsom said the funds could help address gaps in the state's recently approved budget, while California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the money is intended for efforts addressing social media's mental health effects on children. In Illinois, set to receive $768 million, Illinois Federation of Teachers President Stacey Davis Gates called for the funds to go toward addressing school district funding shortfalls. Florida rejected the settlement outright, with Attorney General James Uthmeier saying the state will pursue its own action against Meta.

Back-to-school shopping is costing families more this year, and the National Taxpayers Union's Brian Riley says tariffs are a significant factor. Riley discusses how tariff-driven costs are added to items from bicycles to backpacks, disproportionately affecting lower-income households, and how the policy's stated goal of boosting domestic manufacturing hasn't yet materialized in employment data.

New York City has again extended the deadline for property owners to prove residency under its new tax on second homes valued above $5 million, as a legal challenge to the tax continues in court. Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed questions about the city's original revenue estimates and outlined the appeals process available to property owners through October 6 and beyond.

Inflation remains the top issue for voters heading into the midterms for a third consecutive The Center Square's Voters' Voice poll, according to The Center Square's Brett Rowland. Rowland discusses how the polling data compares with findings from other national surveys and how the White House has responded to the results.

On Everyday Economics, economist Orphe Divounguy joins Greg Bishop to discuss expectations for the Fed chair's comments this week, the outlook for mortgage rates, and considerations for investors approaching retirement amid market volatility.

In America's Talking, Pennsylvania officials face questions after announcing two measles-associated deaths in Lancaster County under Governor Josh Shapiro's administration, though a local coroner disputes that either death was caused by measles. California lawmakers and journalists spoke out against a new law restricting the publication of identifying information about immigration services workers. And a Missouri grandmother who serves free breakfast to neighbors from her home has drawn a legal threat from a local health department over operating without a permit.

Pennsylvania:https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/article_e0068221-6a2e-4cdd-92ef-1b08824e8a3b.html

California: https://www.thecentersquare.com/california/article_eb341226-045b-4af3-9b45-cb05e3b1cefa.html

Missouri: https://www.thecentersquare.com/missouri/article_9dc1c835-b108-401e-8147-e6e2524d9854.html

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